News Of the Week.

Otago Witness, Issue 1422, 22 February 1879, Page 16

News Of the Week.

The wretched murderer Welsh paid the last penalty of the law, at Invercargill, on Wednesday at 7.40 a.m. He expressed himself as having no complaints to make of his treatment, and was attended by Father Higgins in his last moments. We decline to publish the ghastly details sent to us by telegram, as we judge that our readers are not likely to desire such pabulum.

The single men of the immigrants from the Wellington were open for engagement at Oarersham Barracks on Wednesday, and the following engagements were effected :— 1 at 25s a week ; lat 30a ; 6at L6O a year ; lat L 56;5 6; 1 atJLSS ; 3at L 52 j 6 men were also engaged at 8a and 93 a day for the city tramways.

Arrangements are being made to enable the children belonging to the Industrial School to have an excursion into the country at an early date. It will be remembered that about this time last yaar, thanks to the generous exertions of Mr R. Hudson/ of Princes street, the children held a picnic at Milton, and although the weather was not of the most propitious character, the outing proved exceedingly enjoyable. On Monday afternoon Mr Hudson conferred with the Eev. 0. J. Byng, with a view of getting up an excursion either to Milton or Waikouaiti, and they have resolved to apply to the Government for a free train to one of these places, for the accommodation of the inmates of the Industrial School and Benevolent Institution and their friends. Should the Government look on the request with a favourableeye, it is proposed to issue tickets for the trip to persons desirous of taking part in the picnic, and the proceeds will go to enrich the libraries of the Industrial School and the Hospital, and to purchase a harmonium for the former institution. Messrs Hudson and Byng have already had promises of very liberal support in the way of provisions from sundry tradesmen in the city, and they are determined to make the affair as great a success as possible. The managers of wholesale warehouses will be invited to make donations, consisting of toys, books, &c, as prizes for the sports that will be held on the occasion. The excursion will take place in about a fortnight, and we have no doubt that the public will lend their hearty co-opera-tion in providing a day's enjoyment for the inmates of these institutions.

Oar correspondent at Mount Benger writes as follows : — " Mr Murray, surveyor, on or about the 21st January last, performed an act which was never known to be done by human being before, or even attempted. The act I refer to was the mounting of the Old Man rock. This rock, which is remarkable for its height and general appearance, is situate on the Old Man Range, and can be seen from a great distance, its height being 53ft., with perpendicular sides for a considerable way up Many times has this Old Man rock cheered the weary digger, sheltering him in turn from the burning sun and from the chilling; blast of snow. Mr Harvey, cadet under Mr Murray, was the second person to stand on the famous old rock."

A telegraph station is now open at Duntroon, County of Waitaki.

The fourth anniversary of the Court St. An. drew's,No. 6127, Caversham, A.0.F., washeldat the Caversham Town Hall on the 14th. There was a good attendance, and the entertainment, which consisted of a concert and dance, was thoroughly enjoyed by those present. Mr W. Nicol acted as chairman.

At the regular monthly meeting of the Otago Kilwinning Lodge, No. 417, S.C., held at the Masoriic Hall on Thursday evening, the 13th inst., R.W.M.Bro. Louis Court presented P.M. Bro. Edward Goldstein, on behalf of the Lodge, with a handsome illuminated testimonial, in recognition of his energy and zeal in the cause of Freemasonry, and congratulated him on the flourishing condition the Lodge had attained daring his occupancy of the Master's chair. The interesting ceremony took place in the presence of a great number of the brethren and visitors.

A deputation consisting of members of the Otago Harbour Board waited on the AttorneyGeneral on Friday, the 14th, to request that in lieu of three reserves at Port Chalmers, which were set apart some years ago for the improvement of the Lower Harbour, but 'a portion of which was subsequently required by the Government for railway purposes, the Government should grant the Board an endowment of 32 acres at Mussel Bay, Port Chalmers. Of these 32 acres, seven have already been reclaimed, and the Board wished the residue to be re claimed with the view of raising a loan to purchase a hopper dredge, to cost about L 25,000 or L 30.000, to be used for the dredging of the bar at the entrance to the harbour. The Hon. Mr Stout, in reply, said the Government could not grant the request until Sir John Coode has advised whether the reclamation of the land would injure the harbour or not.

Our Lawrence correspondent wrote on the 14th :— The annual meeting of the Lawrence Athenaeum and Mining Institute was held last night. The balance-sheet for the year ending 31st December, 1878, was read and adopted. The total amount of revenue received during the year was L 637 18$ 7d. The following were elected at a committee for the ensuing year :—: — Messrs Stenhouse, Johnston, Copland. Webb, M'Lean, Harrop, Withers, G. F. C. Browne, and H. J. Abel. — The weather has improved lately, and harvest operations will be general in about a week. — There are several new brick buildings in course of erection here just now. There appears to be a general inclination to use bricks ia building in preference to tiuber (

By our Wellington telegrams it will be seen the Government has received advice of a steamer having sailed from Plymouth with 600 emigrants for the Colony.

As we understand some doubts exist as to the right of the Government to sell certain lands at Hawksbury, forming a portion of the Hawksbury township, and generally known as the commonage, we find, on inquiry, that the land in question was never legally reserved, although nominally set a3ide by the Provincial Council for commonage purposes, and that as the land is used by very few people, and is now very valuable, the Waste Lands Board have decided to sell it in Dunedin on 11th March.

The polling for the election of members of the West Taieri Board of Conservators took place on Saturday, at Outram. The following gentlemen were elected members of the Board for the ensuing year: — Messrs Peter Grant, James Shand, James Allan, David Grant, John Dow, William Snow, and William H. Cox. Mr Thomas Richardson acted as Returning Officer.

Regarding the Otago Central Railway, the Mount Ida Chronicle writes :— " The time is now ripe for action to be taken in the matter of the railway route through the plains. It appears that the line ia being surveyed on the Hamilton side of the Taieri, following the sinuosities and windings of the low-lying portions of land adjoining the Taieri Lake, and at the foot of almost perpendicular cliffs abutting on the Lake. It then approaches Hamilton through unimprovable country, and crosses the river on to the plain near the junction of the Hogburn with the Taieri. This route is certainly a most remarkable one— avoiding, as it does, all the centres of settlement .and population on the- plains, and passing through country which it will not increase in value by pence what the other one by Kyeburn and near to Naseby would by pounds. As tenders are to be called for the construction of some portions of the line at no distant date, immediate steps should be taken by both the Municipal and County Councils to induce the Government to inquire into the merits of both routes."

At the City Police Court on Monday, Mrs Anne Connor, who keeps a grocery store at South Dunedin, was found guilty on a charge of sly-grog selling, and fined L2O.

In the case of the claim for compensatiomade on account of the railway line at Palmer ston having taken the place of the street, and thus deprived the owner of the adjoining land of his street frontage, judgment was given by Mr JWatt and the Assessors on the 14th at the Palmerston Resident Magistrate's Court. We extract the judgment as follows from the local Times :— " In acquiring a portion of a road line the Government must be held to have acquired all the rights attaching thereto. One of them is that of altering the natural contour of the land. This, however, has been materially interfered with, and the applicant is satisfied with his present approach. With respect to the right of ingress and egress to each section fronting on the railway line, in the event of the applicant desiring at any future time to divide the block into sections, it appears that his right baa in no way been interfered with, nor prejudiced. Any compensation for loss of frontage does not appear to be contemplated by the Act, even if not expressly provided against by the 69th section of the Immigration and Public Works Act, 1870. And lastly, with respect to the danger of the crossings. This is one which the applicant suffers more or less in common with every member of the community who has occasion to make use of railway crossings. We are of opinion that, although the railway may in some respects be a nuisance to the applicant, he suffers no such damage as would, under the provisions of the Act in question, entitle him to any compensation."

Mr B. H. Carew, R.M., will in Ifuture hold a monthly sitting of the Resident Magistrate's Court at Clinton,

The number of letters posted at the Dunedin Post-office on the 14th (St. Valentine's Day) was 7902.

Mr George Wybar was, without opposition, elected a member of the South Dunedin Borough Council (for East Ward) on Saturday.

The first meeting of the newly-constituted Dunedin Athenreum Committee was held on Monday. There were present : — Messrs Den niston (in the chair), T. Bracken, E. Gillies, Lubeckt, E. S. Hay, Montgomery, J. Logan, J. S. Webb, and Dr Macdonald, and the Treasurer (Mr Whitson), and Secretary (Mr Glasgow). A quantity of correspondence was dealt with, and several accounts were passed for payment.' Several committees were formed, and a number of suggestions were considered,

On the 14th inst. the South Bluest in School Committee unanimously voted for Messrs A. C. Strode, X Gillies, and K. Ramsay as new members of the Otago Education Board.

From a letter received by a gentleman in this city, we learn that Mr Edward Hine, the apostle of the Anglo-Israel theory, proposes to make a lecturing tour through America and the Colonies about the close of the present year.

The latest on dit from Melbourne is to the effect that should Mr Graham Berry come back foiled in his mission to the Colonial Office, and proceed to rouse his party up to the point of separation from the Mother Country, a large party in New South Wales and South Australia will be prepared to join with the Conservatives of Victoria in "annexing" the latter Colony, and forming a strong triple federation holding the old relations to the Home Country. This three-headed Cerberus will scarcely need a stronger hand to hold him in leash than does the vigorous whelp which is at present straining at the collar in the premier Colony of the Australasian group. Unfortunately for the classical allusion, Sir Hercules Robinson is leaving Australia before having an opportunity of repeating the world- famed labour of his great namesake and ancestor, and another hand must be found to tame the monster.

The Timaru Herald says :— "Last Christmas a spark from an engine set fire to the grass beside the railway near Judge Ward's house, and a great part of the plantations were burnt and the orchard severely scorched. The fruit trees were laden with green fruit, and a good deal of this was not destroyed, but came in due time to maturity. The heat of the fire has had an extraordinary effect on the trees, however, causing the fruit spurs which should, in the ordinary course of things, have come out next spring, to develop themselves altogether prematurely, and to burst into flower within the flat few dayp. The consequence is that the orchard now presents the singular spectacle of paar and apple treeft bearing nearly ripe fruit and flowers in full bloom, at one and the same time, the fruit and flowers being only a few inches apart. We certainly never saw any thing like it except in orange orchards, where flow era and fruit in all stages are found on the name tree ; and we are inclined to regard it as quite phenomenal. Our own impression is, that the ordeal which these trees havo undergone, though it has brought them into flower six months before their time, will end by kill* ng them,."

We are authoritatively informed that the insurances upon the Union Company's s.s. Taupo, an account of the wreck of which appears in another column, amount in all to L 23,000, Home offices bearing L 13.000, and Colonial offices LIO.OOO. The insurances in the latter are a3 follows :— Colonial, L 100 0; Union, L 100 0; New Zealand, LIOOO ; South British, L 2000; and in Melbourne offices, LSOOO. The ship was valued at L 27,000. The Union Company intend abandoning her to the underwriters. Captain Cromarty, who came from Home in the Taupo as chief officer nearly four years ago, has been in command of her since Captain Andrew 3 left, about three months ago.

On the 17th instant the Otakia School Committee unanimously voted for Meßsra Michael Fraer, James Green, and Keith Ramsay as new members of the Education Board.

The applications for Crown land are now by no means so numerous as they were some six or eight weeks since. Although the Benger block, in the Clyde district, County Vincent, has ;been open for more than a month, no applications have been received, except a few for agricultural land. There has not been a single application under the deferred-payment system for the land contained in this block.

The Supreme Court Circuit Sittings at Lawrence will be held before Mr Justice Williams, and will commence on, Tuesday, the 18th of March. The most important case to come before the Court is a charge against George Goodwin and Ann Blair, of maliciously attempting to set fire to a stable belonging to one Margaret Williams, of Lawrence.

The Kuxlßush people, who have heretofore had to send to Otakia for their letters and papers, have now a semi-weekly mail of their own.

A meeting of the School Reserve Commissioners was held in the office of the Board of Education at noon on Tuesday. There were present: Mr J. P. Maitland (chairman), the Hon. W. H. Reynolds, Judge Bathgate, and Mr Donald Keid. The passing of the monthly accounts and assenting to the transference of a number of leases constituted the principal business.

A telegram has been received in town to tha effect that Mr R. Graham, of Auckland, and Mrjß.iHudson, of Dunedin, have been established under the Maori mana, which is equivalent to being recognised as settlers in Maori territory— the former at Rotorua, and the latter at Kangaroa and Paiarea.

The following cablegrams are from Tuesday's Timaru Herald :— " London, February 15th. — The Canadian Government have determined to proceed with the first section of the British North American Continental railway at once, and with the utmost spesd. It will start at Superior City, at the northern end of Lake Superior j and be continued along the shores of Lake Winnepeg. — Two Englishmen have been murdered at the Canary Islands. — Bombay, February 15th. — The position of affaira in Kashgaria is assuming very serious proportions. A general war between China and Russia is considered inevitable."

The Government have decided that, on account of the scarcity of carbines, they cannot at present accept the services of the Otago Yeomanry Cavalry,

A telegram in the San Francisco Bulletin, dated London, December 23, says : — The re« turns of the Union Workhouse in the east of London show widespread poverty and distress. The Shoreditch Workhouse Infirmary is full ; also the workhouse itself, and extra room must be provided. At the Bethnal Green Workhouse there are 1059 inmates, and 382 in the infirmary. In Hackney there are 1416 indoor poor, chargeable to the "Union." District visitors disclose a vast amount of distress, and the funds at their disposal are utterly insufficient. This is especially the case at Poplar and Millwall, where thousands of dock and other labourers are thrown out of employment. Spitalfields, Limehouse, South Hackney, Sha'dwell, and Haggerston suffer severely. The tradesmen of the entire eastern districts are crying out about the badness of trade, and even Christmas wares are a heavy drug in the market. So severe ia the distress in Haggerston that committees formed for the relief of cases will be greatly crippled through want of funds.

The Interprovincial Cricket Match is apparently a great event in Canterbury, and furnishes one of the country papers with the subject for a leading article, in which it ia stated that "the year which saw tha military strength of France break before the rising star of Germany, saw too the cricketing might of Otago pale before that of Canterbury." The a?ticle goes on to say that, " taking all things into consideration, this is not to be wondered at. The flatness of bur country gives us grounds in every country town and village. After a Bmall preparation one might almost pitch a wicket on any portion of the plains between Amberley and Timaru. The greater part of Canterbury might easily be turned into one vast cricket-field."

The Rev. T. E. Ash has resigned the incumbency of the Episcopalian Church at Riverton. He goes to Queenstown and Clyde.

The Kaikorai Presbyterian congregation, at a meeting on Monday evening, unanimously resolved in favour of a call to the Rev. Mr Sutherland. Messrs Hepburn, Thomson, and Watson Were appointed commissioners to represent the congregation in the matter of the call at the first . meeting of the Dunedin Presbytery.

On Saturday night, January 25th (says the Melbourne Telegraph) a match was made between Frank Hewitt, the well-known English pedestrian, and Charles Dean, the Wagga Wagga Champion, who lately defeated A. Allsop, at Sandhurst, for LSO a side, to take place on March 7th, the day after the Auitralian Cup. The distances are 50 yards, 80 yards, 100 yards, 120 yards, and 130 yards, the winner of the most events to be declared the victor. It is understood that the contest will take place on the Melbourne Cricket-ground.

The annual soiree in connection with the Tokomairiro Preßby terian Church took place on Wednesday, the 12th ; the Rev. Jame* Chisholm, minister of the congregation, in the chair. The attendance was large, and tea and eatables were liberally supplied by the ladies who presided at the tables. Mr J. E. Brown drew attention, in a few remarks, to the printed financial statement, from which it appeared that the income for the year amounted to L 712 18 s !, and the expenditure to L6BB 18a. Interesting speeches were eriven by the Revs. Borrie, Cowie, Hamil ton (Victoria), and Allan. The nhoir did good service by their admirable rendering of several jubilee hymns, &c. A very j>lea.singr event occurred <1 urine the evening, in the sbapa of the presentation of a gold watch and massive albert chain to the minister. Mr Cowie, in making tho presentation, said it was meant to mark the appreciation which the members of Ihe minister's Bible-class of this and former years entertained of his efforts to benefit them and the young people of the congregation generally. The watcb, which was a very handsome one, bore the following inscription .—"Presented to the Rev. James Cbisholm, as a token of esteem and affection from his Bible-class,"

The Adelaide correspondent of a Victorian contemporary says: — "The harvest promises to be about seven bushels per acre instead of nine, as was expected a month ago. Red rustseems to have done the mischief, but it is a singular fact that up to the moment of reaping the farmers themselves believed the yield would be far greater than it is turning out to be. Our surplus for export will be about 150,000 tons, instead of 225,000 tons."

The South Australian correspondent of the Argus writes :— " One of the most important events of the day has been the discovery of water, bored for after the artesian principle, in a hitherto perfectly waterless country. The Curnamona run, on which three wells have been sunk, from each of which 10,000 gallons to 30,000 gallons of water a day can be obtained, lies 300 miles north and north-east of Adelaide, and its present worth may h& estimated from the fact that 110 square miles of country, which previously were useless, have now become most valuable. The discovery has naturally given considerable impetus to the action of the Government, who have sent out Professor Tate, with a thoroughly well equipped party, to ascertain if the waterless country to the west and north-west of Fowler's Bay cannot be opened up by means of.artesian wells. When it is remembered that we have about 140,000,000 acre 3of land, or nearly three-fifths of the whole province, destitute of permanent surface-water, the importance of Professor Tates mission cannot be easily over-estimated."

A farmer named Glass, residing at Ida Valley, near Blacks, had^ about four acres of oats and a reaping-machine destroyed by fire on Saturday last. Some few days previously h« fired a stack of straw, and a Btrong wind arising on Saturday carried some of the t embers into the growing crop. It was i&fly with considerable difficulty the remainder of the paddock was saved.

Mr Varley's various meetings duripg the week have been well attended. Ministers from all parts of Otago are being invited to attend the Christian Conference on Tuesday next, which will be held during the day in the Temperance Hall j and the evening meeting m connection therewith will be held in the new Knox Church. The lecture on " Billy Bray " will also be delivered in that church.